In this paper we present new ways to read Digital Talking Books (DTBs). DTBs aim to provide better access to literary contents for the visually impaired population. However, these books offer limited capabilities when reading the book freely. Only continuous reading or jumping through sections of the text is allowed. This lack of flexibility leaves out many of the types of reading users usually...

Talking books, besides helping the blind and print-disabled communities to have easier access to books, also allow reading in situations when the vision becomes temporarily unavailable, for instance, while driving. In this paper, we present a user interface model-based architecture for digital talking books. The books allow for multimodal interaction in an effort to broaden the usage scope. Con...

Talking books, besides helping the blind and print-disabled communities to have easier access to books, also allow reading in situations when the vision becomes temporarily unavailable, for instance, while driving. In this paper, we present a user interface model-based architecture for digital talking books. The books allow for multimodal interaction in an effort to broaden the usage scope. Con...

In this paper we describe the development of a schema for the annotation of attribution relations and present the first findings and some relevant issues concerning this phenomenon. Following the D-LTAG approach to discourse, we have developed a lexically anchored description of attribution, considering this relation, contrary to the approach in the PDTB, independently from other discourse rela...

OBJECTIVE People with the HLA genotype DRB1*0301-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0201/DRB1*04-DQA1*0301-DQB1*0302 (DR3/4-DQ8) are at the highest risk of developing type 1 diabetes. We sought to find an inexpensive, rapid test to identify DR3/4-DQ8 subjects using two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS SNPs rs2040410 and rs7454108 were associated with DR3-DQB1*0201 and DR4-DQB1*...

BACKGROUND The hygiene hypothesis attributes the increased incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D) to a decrease of immune system stimuli from infections. We evaluated this prospectively in the Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young (DAISY) by examining daycare attendance during the first two years of life (as a proxy for infections) and the risk of T1D. METHODS DAISY is a prospective cohort of ...

The common green bottle fly Lucilia sericata (Meigen) and other filth flies frequently visit pollen-rich composite flowers such as the Oxeye daisy, Leucanthemum vulgare Lam. In laboratory experiments with L. sericata, we investigated the effect of generic floral scent and color cues, and of Oxeye daisy-specific cues, on foraging decisions by recently eclosed flies. We also tested the effect of ...

Weed pollen grains belonging to the Asteraceae family contain a variety of allergens inducing type I and IV allergies in susceptible people. The aim of this research was to compare the allergenic properties of immature and mature Shasta daisy pollen grains (Chrysanthemum maximum Ramond) to define the potential role of the maturation process on the allergenicity of Asteraceae pollen grains. The ...

Type 1 diabetes (T1D), a chronic autoimmune disease, is often preceded by a preclinical phase of islet autoimmunity (IA) where the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas are destroyed and circulating autoantibodies can be detected. The goal of this study was to demonstrate methods for identifying exposures that differentially influence the disease process at certain ages by assessing age-...

OBJECTIVE To quantitate a size distortion involving the side of space contralateral to the lesion (contralesional) in two right-brain-damaged patients. METHODS We studied two right-brain-damaged patients with lesions sparing the occipital lobe and a mild left neglect on target cancellation or line bisection. The lesions involved the temporoparietal region (Patient 1) and the basal ganglia and...